Rebecca's Prayer: A Song of Praise

Rebecca's Prayer: A Song of Praise
By Sarah Hoffman
CBN News

CBNNews.com - RALEIGH, N.C. - Rebecca Simpson's two goals in life were to make an impact for God and graduate from her high school, North Raleigh Christian Academy.

She was determined not to let anything get in her way. Not even leukemia.

Her friend Abby Parsons remembers the day in eighth grade when Rebecca was diagnosed.

"I went to the hospital that evening and I expected that she would just be you know, kind of down or whatever. But she was laughing, happy, reading her Bible," she said.

Over the years, Simpson kept an online diary of everything she was going through. Sprinkled in between the notes about classes, plays and doctors appointments are glimpses into the teen's strong faith, read for CBN News by her friend Shea Northcut.

"It's okay to be upset or disappointed, as long as the faith is still there and the song of praise comes after the sadness.God has the victory in every fight.including this one," Shea read from Rebecca's journal.

Recently the head of Rebecca's school discovered that she had enough credits to fulfill her dream - and graduate early with honors. So, on Feb. 23, all the seniors dressed in their caps and gowns and gave Rebecca an official graduation ceremony.

"They came out to 'Pomp and Circumstance' and she was right where she was supposed to be," Rebecca's mom, Emmaline Simpson, said.

The choir she had been a part of sang a song and the girls she used to dance with choreographed a special number.

Award after award was handed out. And finally - the moment she had been waiting for her whole life - she got her diploma.

"It was very bittersweet. Very bittersweet," her dad, Jeff Simpson, said.

Less than eight hours after the ceremony, Rebecca Simpson went home to be with Jesus. But Rebecca fulfilled her other goal, too - to deeply influence her friends for the Lord even in her short life.

"You can look at all the students at this school, anyone who's ever come in contact with her is touched and will never be the same again because of who she was and the kind of person that she was and how strong she was in the Lord," Maggie Patton, Rebecca's friend, said.

Within hours of her passing, Simpson's friends wrote, produced and uploaded a song to the Internet called Rebecca's Prayer.

And less than 48 hours after her passing, Rebecca's mom, dad and sister Vinson sat down with CBN News to tell us about how they are coping with their loss.

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